1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to techniques for controlling, in a coordinated manner, multiple home electronics interconnected via a network. In particular, the present disclosure is related to a technique that avoids a conflict of control when different control operations are configured to operate on the same device at the same timing.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2004-56466 discloses a system including a server and a device that is installed at home and communicates with the server via a communication network, such as the Internet.
In such a system, the server and a home gateway set a control rule in accordance with the statuses of home electronics and weather forecast services such that the multiple home electronics operate in coordination with the weather forecast service. The system thus causes the home electronics and the services to operate in a coordinated fashion. However, if different control operations are performed on the same device at the same timing, a conflict of control may occur.
To solve this problem, the technique disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2004-56466 avoids the conflict of control by making a rule in advance. Such a rule includes placing a higher priority on a newly set control operation, or placing a higher priority on a control operation having a specified time period.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2004-248043 discloses a technique that selects an appropriate control program from among control programs corresponding to various control conditions in advance when control conditions of home electronics serving as control targets include two or more commands having mutually inconsistent contents.
There is still room for improvements in order to avoid the conflict of control on the same device.